Jitters
by Black Stormraven
Summary: AU/What-If. One couple's special day is threatened by one person's inability to let go of the past, and by another's sudden doubt.
1. Chapter 1

"I know you're getting tired of hearing it, but I'm gonna ask again: are you absolutely, one-hundred-percent positive about this, Master?"

Obi-Wan bit back an exasperated sigh as he looked at Anakin's reflection in the mirror. "We've been over this several times before, Anakin. I've never been more certain about anything in my life."

"Then why do you keep fidgeting with your sleeves?"

"I'm not fidgeting. I just can't get them to lay right." That was only half true; he just didn't want to give his best man the satisfaction. Truth be told, he was terrified. He just didn't know why.

Anakin stood from his chair near the door and stepped forward. "Obi-Wan, knock it off," he said lightly as he shooed the other man's hands away and adjusted his sleeve cuffs for him. "Look, it's alright to be nervous. Force knows I was when Padme and I..." He trailed off when he seemed to remember that he and Padme had gotten married well before the rules were rewritten to allow such a thing. "Well...point is, I just want to make sure you're nervous for the right reasons."

Obi-Wan gave him a look. "What do you mean by that?"

"That worrying about tripping down the aisle or passing out or forgetting your vows are okay reasons to be nervous. But having second thoughts, no matter how small, are not." His hands fell sharply down to his sides as he let out a harsh huff. "I mean, I still just don't get it. I know you see something in her that I don't, and maybe it's because she only shows it to you, but all I see is the same woman who tried to kill you at least a dozen times since you first encountered her."

"Anakin-"

"What happens when you two have your first big fight? Is she going to go back to her old habits and try to kill you again? What if something happens and she falls back to the Dark Side? You won't be able to save her a second time, Obi-Wan; it's a miracle it happened at all in the first place. I don't want you to wake up in the morning and realize that you've made a huge mistake."

Obi-Wan was going to let him have his tantrum just to let him vent, but those last words hit him hard. "Is that what you think this is? Do you really think that I haven't thought about all of that and more long before I asked her to marry me? I-"

"Sorry to break up your little spat, you two," a third voice called from the door, "but you-" Latts jabbed a finger at Obi-Wan "-need to go talk to your fiance."

Any thought of irritation at Anakin dissipated at those words to be replaced with genuine worry. "What's wrong? Is she alright?"

Latts shot a look at Anakin and simply said, "Just go talk to her." Obi-Wan didn't waste time asking any more questions; he hurried out the door and jogged down the hallway.


	2. Chapter 2

Latts continued to stare down Skywalker after Kenobi had rushed past her. "Having fun trying to sabotage today?" she asked without mirth.

The Jedi at least had the grace to look chastened, even though he still tried lying. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Latts stepped past him towards the full-length mirror; she wasn't used to wearing a dress as nice as this one and wanted to be sure it stayed clean and in place. "Listen, kid. I know we don't know each other that well, and I'd like to keep it that way. But here's all you need to know about me." She spoke casually, adjusting her gown, fixing her hair, checking her makeup. But she made sure that there was a knife edge under her words. "When I make a friend, I can get pretty protective of them. Violently so. In the months that I've known her, I've never seen Asajj happier and more alive. So here's the deal." She turned so quickly she noticed Skywalker's hand twitch as if going for his lightsaber. "If you do anything to make this day less than perfect for her, anything to make her unhappy in the slightest, there will be no coming back from the hell I'll send you to."

Skywalker's eyes hardened as he looked at her. He probably thought he looked frightening, but Latts had gone up against murderers, lunatics, and all manner of the lowest scum the galaxy had to offer. She wasn't the least bit intimidated by this brat of a Jedi, mystical Force powers or not. "That's not much of a deal, Razzi. But let me make a counteroffer. The only reason I'm allowing this farce to go on is for Obi-Wan's sake. If the witch so much as _looks_ like she's going to betray the trust he's put in her, however misguided it is, I'll put a permanent end to this insanity myself. Am I clear?"

"You can try," she said with a Chesire grin, one hand planted firmly on her hip. "But you'll have one hell of a fight on your hands if you do."

It was as close to a truce as she was going to offer. Asajj had told her about the kid, what she had sensed from him during their confrontations. Latts had encountered people like Skywalker before, those who thought certain people belonged only to them, that they were some kind of great protector of all that was good and just when in fact they were simply selfish, greedy assholes like everyone else. People with god complexes never sat too well with her, least of all this one given his history with her closest friend.

"Now that we have that settled," she said, "lose the attitude and fix yourself up. Ceremony's starting soon and I'm not gonna have you embarrass either Asajj or Obi-Wan by looking like..." She waved a hand at him in exaggerated barely-concealed disgust. "...that."

She had only just stepped out the door when Skywalker said, "If there's still a ceremony to be had."

Latts froze, cold fury beginning to stir in her breast. She took two steps back to the room and leaned in through the doorway. "There _will_ be a wedding, there _will_ be a stupidly happy couple walking away from that altar, and that's all there is to it. So quit being a petulant brat and put on a smile before I carve one into that pretty face for you."

Walking away before he could push any more of her buttons, Latts forced herself to not make good on her threat and instead turned her thoughts back to Asajj. She hoped Kenobi, despite his good intentions and his obvious love for his soon-to-be-bride, wasn't making things worse. _He's got ten minutes, _she thought as she took up a watchpost just down the hall from the improvised bridal suite.

Of course, she didn't really have a plan if ten minutes went by with no one coming out of that room...

* * *

**I just really like the idea of Latts being so protective of Asajj, even though she'd never admit it to her face xD**


End file.
